Of Symbols Misused has been reviewed here, and most recently here:
Of Symbols Misused has also received praise from these editors and authors:
‘Newton’s first collection is bold, eclectic and tightly crafted. She is attentive both to the delicate nuances of solitude and to the brash declarations with which we sometimes disguise ourselves. The collection echoes with a resounding delight in words: images are fresh, sometimes strikingly memorable and often powered by an edgy energy which compels the reader to do that wonderful thing: inhabit the poetry.’
Martin Alexander, author of ‘Clearing Ground’ and Editor of the Asia Literary Review
‘Mary-Jane Newton’s first collection displays boldness of spirit and a buccaneering sense of adventure in its forays with language, matched by energy, a wry sense of humour and humility in the light of the poet’s responsibilities, thus making it a joy to read, at turns sensuous and arch in tones and angles.’
Peter Carpenter, author of ‘After the Goldrush’ and Chair of the Poetry Society UK
‘Mary-Jane Newton’s poetry is so unexpected it often startles me. A charged, radically honest book with zest and panache; she tells it like it is, with wit and a touch of irony. Her voice is as unique as her approach to the poems. And, as always, her honesty is refreshing and uniquely personal. It is, simply, poetry you will find nowhere else.’
Geoffrey Gatza, Editor at BlazeVOX [books] and author of numerous collections of poetry
‘These are love poems, poems of leave-taking and of sudden illumination. The writing, always beautifully executed, emerges from a polyphonic imagination.’
Eddie Tay, author of ‘The Mental Life of Cities’ and Reviews Editor of Cha: An Asian Literary Journal
‘Mary Jane Newton’s poetry is quicksilver! Its shifts are often rapid and at times deceptively breezy. But don’t be deceived: the love poems of this collection (and they are all love poems) are incisive, surprising and revelatory. As a poet Newton is unflinching and honest, and her words offer insight always at the expense of safety.’